


The Robin Comes At Dawn

by glorifiedscapegoat, patkinmon



Category: Banana Fish (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Robin Hood, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-07
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-05-13 06:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19245409
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glorifiedscapegoat/pseuds/glorifiedscapegoat, https://archiveofourown.org/users/patkinmon/pseuds/patkinmon
Summary: "Oh?" Eiji slid forward and curled his fingers around the bars. "And what would you steal from me?"Ash slid forward as well. "Something of value.""Hmm." Eiji tilted his head close to the bars. Ash could feel a puff of breath against his cheeks. "And what do I have of value?"Ash tilted his face to the side and inched forward, without thinking much of it. "Something you've never given anyone else before, I suppose." He reached out his hand, fingers through the bars. Eiji was close enough that Ash could take a strand of his hair in the tips of his fingers. It was soft. "Something you would only want to give to one person."Or: Ash Lynx as Robin Hood, Eiji Okumura as Maid Marion, Dino Golzine as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Shorter Wong as Little John.Author: glorifiedscapegoatArtist: patkinmon





	The Robin Comes At Dawn

**Author's Note:**

> **Title** : the robin comes at dawn  
>  **Fandom** : Banana Fish  
>  **Author** : glorifiedscapegoat  
>  **Artist** : patkinmon  
>  **Rating** : T  
>  **Pairing** : Ash Lynx/Okumura Eiji  
>  **Event** : Banana Fish Reverse Big Bang 2019  
>  **Warnings** : No Warnings Apply  
>  **Summary** : Alternate Universe ― Modern Fantasy. Alternate Universe ― Robin Hood. Ash Lynx as Robin Hood, Eiji Okumura as Marion, Dino Golzine as the Sheriff of Nottingham, and Shorter Wong as Little John.
> 
> This is a collaboration piece for the Banana Fish Reverse Big Bang event. I am **glorifiedscapegoat** (the author), and the artist for the lovely piece embedded in the fic below is **patkinmon**. You can find both of us on tumblr through these usernames.
> 
> This story has been a lot of fun to write. I enjoyed brainstorming the idea these past few weeks, and I am pleased to see the end result.
> 
> Thank you and enjoy this collaborative work!

“ _At the end of the day, I fight for those who cannot fight for themselves. If that makes me an outlaw, so be it. I’ve been called worse_.”

― Angela Parkhurst, _Forget Me Not_

After more than ten years on the run, Ash Lynx had been anticipating the day he was hauled off in chains.

          The guns felt a bit much, but at the same time, it was a bit flattering in its own right. Most criminals were marched off to prison by guards armed only with a few knives. But to be escorted by guards wielding guns―a new weapon whose complete capabilities were still untested―felt like something of an honor. Ash grinned to himself, in spite of it all.

          There were only three guards. Ash could have probably taken them all out, but the cuffs and chains posed a bit of an issue. _And besides, Shorter will spring me soon enough_. Ash had always been curious about the castle dungeon. This seemed as good a time as any to investigate it.

          The guards marched Ash down a single flight of stairs. Ash managed to keep pace with them easily enough. The guards were dressed in the same black suits. It was quite a contrast to Ash's ratty tee shirt, jeans, and mud-spattered boots.

          At last, they entered an exceptionally long hallway. Their shoes echoed on the floor as it gave way to elegant marble. Ash's eyes flickered to the guards. All three of them were watching him from the corner of their eyes. One in the front, two flanking him on either side. Ash's wrists were bound behind his back, resting at the base of his spine.

          The escort was a flattering gesture.

          The guard in the lead―a larger man with a mop of hair the color of a filthy puddle―glanced over his shoulder. Ash puckered his lips and blew a kiss at him. The guard snorted in disgust and looked back ahead.

          When the guards had ambushed him on the streets, Ash knew immediately that he'd been betrayed. He didn't let himself taste fear. He hadn't allowed himself to taste it since he was a frightened little boy, weeping as he fled into the forests. When he woke in the mornings to the sounds of his gang snoring in the other room, Ash told himself, _You will not be afraid. You will not be afraid of anything_.

          Ash lifted his eyes at the first guard's back. It would be a pleasure to pierce him through the back and send him sprawling to the ground. Ash had never held a gun, but it didn't seem too complicated. His quick mind would figure it out in a matter of seconds, and then all three of the guards would be nothing but more casualties of the kingdom's greed.

          "Stop looking at me like that," snarled the guard, and Ash felt something jam into his back. He made sure to hide his smirk.

          _Not yet_ , Ash thought. _Someday, of course―but not yet_.

          The group hurried through a hallway packed with wide windows. Stained glass portraits of kings and queens past told a glorious history of Sherwood's kingdom. What a joke, Ash thought, rolling his eyes. Sherwood had fallen apart years ago. The Okumura family's divine name had been slandered by their descendants greed. King Okumura and his detestable family had dragged the entire kingdom to ruin.

          From beyond the windows, Ash could hear the hustle and bustle of the peasants' village. A odd hodgepodge of modernity and archaic buildings. The moans of the hungry were the loudest sounds of all.

          Ash's jaw twitched. When he took what little riches he'd managed to snag from uppity noble families and managed to deliver them to the villagers, many of them gave him their thanks, but their eyes were dead. Lifeless. Miserable and hopeless in a way that shattered Ash's heart to pieces.

          _This_ , Ash thought, remembering the tears that had dribbled down an old woman's cheeks when Ash brought her a small bag of coins to cover her overdue taxes. _This is why I became a thief_.

          Aslan Jade Callenreese had once been just another boy growing up under the care of King Okumura. The son of a villager who skipped meals so his two sons could eat. His world had changed drastically when his father was hauled off in chains, accused of treason. Ash could still hear the screams emitting from his father's throat as Ash's older brother, Griffin, had hurled himself at the officers. Ash had heard the impact of a knife sliding into his brother's belly. Had watched Griffin fall to his knees and go still in a pool of his own blood.

          On that day, King Okumura had taken everything from him. Aslan Jade Callenreese had sprinted from the guards and hurried into the forests. He'd wept beneath the shade of a tree until his pain chilled into an icy desire for revenge. Until his misery gave way to hatred. When Aslan finally opened his eyes, his tears had dried. He was no longer Aslan Jade Callenreese. That boy had been burned to a crisp by Sherwood's horrendous king.

          There was nothing left but a pile of ashes―a lynx made of ash who would, someday, bring the king to his knees.

          _I will not be afraid_ , Ash thought, lifting his chin. _I am not afraid of anything_.

          At last, they stopped at a set of large wooden doors. The first guard jerked his head, and the two behind Ash jammed their guns into his spine. Ash stumbled a bit on the slick marble, but righted himself immediately. No use looking like a fool in front of those he intended to destroy.

          The doors groaned open to reveal a large audience chamber. Brilliant LED lights hung from the ceiling. Peppers of diamond fire flickered down from a glorious glass chandelier hanging from the ceiling. There were no windows. No way to glance outside and see the devastation beyond. It felt like getting slapped in the face. How could the king ignore the plight of his people? Ash had always known it was the truth―but seeing it was another thing entirely. A reminder of how much King Okumura valued his riches over his kingdom.

          Someone was standing in front of an empty throne. Ash's heart caught in his throat. _I will not be afraid_ , he told himself, but as his eyes lifted toward the throne, to the man standing before it, Ash felt a chill spider-walk down his back.

          The guards stopped before the throne and dipped into low bows.

          Ash lifted his eyes and stared into the face of a handsome young man. He pressed his lips into a thin line. _Not the king_ , he thought, disappointment a strange taste on his tongue.

          "Your Highness," said the guard at the front of the procession. He straightened from his bow with a bit of difficulty.

          Ash set his jaw and glared at the young man standing before the throne. If they expected him to bow, they had another thing coming. If he was going to be hauled off to prison, he was going to do it with his dignity intact, damn it all.

          Loud steps suddenly echoed on the marble behind him. Someone took hold of his neck before Ash could turn around. He glimpsed the flash of a gray suit and a white mustache before being shoved to his knees. Pain bolted through his legs. His arms jerked behind him. Ash bit down hard on his lower lip and hissed.

          " _That_ is how you greet a member of the royal family," a loud voice boomed in his ear.

          Ash twisted and glared up at his attacker. He bared his teeth and hissed―like the cat he had been named after. The man was larger than the guards who had dragged him in. He wore an elegant gray suit that made his pale skin seem washed out. His small green eyes glittered with amusement; Ash saw his face, his bared teeth, his burning eyes, reflected back.

          "Golzine," said another voice, and it took Ash only a moment to realize it had come from the young man the guards had greeted as "Your Highness." There was a cold bite to the young man's tone, a harsh snap that reminded Ash of a storm. "That was completely unnecessary."

          Ash tried to twist and get a good look at the young man. _"Your Highness," huh? So he's probably the prince, then_. Ash forced the surge of hatred down into his core. Another member of the royal family. Not the king, but someone who must have been like him. All Ash could see of the prince was a black pair of boots. He disliked not being able to see his enemy head-on.

          "Apologies, Your Highness," replied the man. He released his grip on the back of Ash's neck. "You'll forgive the display, of course. This man is Ash Lynx―the thief who has been tormenting Sherwood as of late. You'll understand the need for a bit of force."

          "I do _not_ appreciate," said the prince, his voice rising until it echoed off the high marble walls, "you assuming to know what I'll forgive or understand. I do not care who this man is or what he has done. You will not treat anyone this way in my presence. Am I understood?"

          There was a moment of silence, and then Ash heard a low exhale. "Understood completely, Your Highness."

          Ash peeled himself off the marble ground. As he rose, he swallowed down the rise of humiliation. He had no time for it. No time to worry about anything. The king's son―the Crown Prince of Sherwood―was only a handful of steps away from him. _If I can get these shackles off_ , Ash thought, _I could take him hostage. Doubt they'll try to shoot me with him as a human shield_.

          Gathering his pride, Ash lifted his head and stared into the Crown Prince's face.

          Okumura Eiji looked down at him. He wasn't smiling. In fact, he looked quite agitated. Ash could see the court-trained position of his hands―folded in front of his waist―but he noticed Eiji's fingers twitching. He had his chin lifted. Dressed in a plain blue button-down and black slacks, Eiji Okumura looked...rather plain. Not a prince or even a member of the royal family. He was well-dressed and well-groomed, but there was a softness to him Ash had never seen in a nobleman or a lord. If he hadn't heard this boy be identified as Crown Prince Eiji Okumura, Ash never would have pegged him as royalty.

          There was something startlingly beautiful about him. Eiji Okumura's eyes were a deep black, the pupil only discernible from the iris by a ring of silver. It matched the raven-black of his hair, falling to his chin in delicate, loose waves that looked impossibly soft.

          Ash felt a twinge of excitement lance through him. He wasn't certain why. From a young age, Ash Lynx had known he was beautiful. He had been blessed with a mix of attractive features that often helped him work his way around difficult situations. At first glance, his eyes appeared a pretty, flat green. Upon further inspection, it would be revealed that Ash's green eyes were, in fact, the same jade color that had given him his former middle name. His hair was glorious and gold, a bit of sunlight and fire trapped in each strand.

          Ash Lynx was beautiful, but it was a harsh sort of beauty. Savage and wild. Eiji Okumura's beauty was softer―the brush of watercolor paints. Ash felt a gust of cool Spring air wash over him at the sight of the young man. Not an uncomfortable cold, but a gentle feeling that made him begin to relax without thinking.

          Eiji Okumura frowned at Ash, but Ash got the feeling he wasn't frowning at him. Though Eiji Okumura's eyes remained firmly on Ash's face, his words were aimed at the man named Golzine who had shoved him to the stones. "Did your guards beat him before you brought him here?" Only a second passed before Eiji Okumura shot a firm glance at the three guards standing behind Ash. "Did you beat him before you brought him here?"

          The first guard cleared his throat awkwardly. "We were...We were instructed to subdue the thief known as Ash Lynx, Your Highness."

          "And since when does 'subdue' mean 'abuse'?"

          "Putting a thief in his place is not the same as abuse," said Golzine. Eiji Okumura's head snapped in his direction. "Your Highness," Golzine added.

          "You will not do this again," Eiji Okumura said, his voice rising once again. "Not again. Do you understand me?"

          "Your father instructed me to take the thief by any means necessary," Golzine replied. His voice was filled with deep indifference. "This man has been accused of taking money and jewelry from dozens of noble families. A thief is a thief. And we treat thieves accordingly."

          Eiji Okumura's jaw twitched. He opened his mouth to speak―and then a set of doors opened in the distance.

          All at once, the atmosphere in the throne room transformed.

          The guards dropped into low bows, almost kissing the marble. Ash felt Golzine's large hand on the back of his neck. This time, however, when Golzine shoved him down, Ash's chin struck the ground. His teeth rattled in his skull. He bit the tip of his tongue, and tears of pain pricked at the corners of his eyes. He didn't think Eiji Okumura had noticed, for half a moment before Ash had been shoved to the ground, he had seen Eiji drop into a similar bow.

          The echo of heavy leather boots slapping the marble echoed through the room. Ash went still. Someone walked past them, then―and ascended the steps toward the throne.

          Ash tasted blood on his tongue.

          "Stand," came a bored voice. The guards rose to their feet. Ash struggled up with his hands bound behind his back. He set his jaw, forced his most intimidating glare on his face, and looked up at the King of Sherwood.

          King Shujihiro Okumura had his chin propped on his hand, his elbow resting delicately on the arm of the throne. His eyes were a startling shade of amber brown, so light they seemed to vanish inside the whites. On his black doublet, a golden rendition of the Okumura family crest―two phoenixes with their long tails curled together at the bottom―occupied the chest. A heavy black cloak draped over the arm of the throne.

          He was much older than Ash, but there was a ruggedness to him that one would find aesthetically pleasing. There were creases by his eyes that suggested he might have laughed often in his youth. Ash wondered what had changed. What had made King Okumura into the nightmare he was.

          King Okumura cocked his head. "Dino, this is him?"

          "Yes, sire," replied Golzine.

          "A child?" King Okumura waved his hand dismissively in Ash's direction. "How is it that a _child_ managed to uproot my kingdom?"

          Ash ignored the surge of hatred that grew within him.

          King Okumura tapped his fingers against the arm of his throne. "Well, no point in prolonging it. Answer me this, boy. Are you or are you not the thief known as Ash Lynx?"

          Ash flashed all his teeth. "I am."

          "There. That's all I need." King Okumura shifted his leg and nodded toward Dino Golzine. "He has confessed to being the thief Ash Lynx. Therefore, all crimes listed as being committed by Ash Lynx shall be his responsibility. Throw him in a cell. Once we find the rest of his little band, hang him in the town square. I want those fools to watch."

          "It would be a pleasure, Your Majesty." Dino Golzine's voice was syrupy and thick.

          He took Ash by the back of the neck again― _If he does that one more time, I'm going to bite his fingers off_ ―and began to guide him away from the throne. Ash felt the urge to resist rising inside him, and it took all his strength to force it back down.

          Ash had barely turned his back to the throne when he heard Eiji Okumura cry out, "Father, wait!"

          The entire room went silent.

          "You can't just sentence someone to the dungeons without a trial," Eiji Okumura went on. "This man might not be Ash Lynx. How do you know he isn't covering for the real Ash Lynx? Or that he was blackmailed? You can't convict a man with no evidence!"

          Ash opened his mouth to tell Eiji Okumura to shut up―to tell him he didn't need some pompous prince to stand up for him―but something caged the words deep in his throat. If this was part of some elaborate ruse on the prince's part, Ash was not privy to what his intentions might have been.

          "He has confessed to the crimes," replied the King, sounding bored. "If he's an innocent man, why would he take the place of a thief? The Lynx has been sentenced to death as soon as we find those other criminals. This is a death sentence. What reason would he have to choose this?"

          "Whatever his reasons may be," Eiji Okumura argued, "we can't just accept what he's said at face value. You can't imprison an innocent man. It's―it's wrong!"

          The King threw his head back and barked out a laugh. " _Wrong?_ What's wrong is claiming to be a thief. If this man is truly innocent, then taking the name of a thief and admitting to his crimes is foolish. Punishable. Either way, he will sit in the dungeons."

          "But―"

          "Enough, Eiji." The King voice was a low growl. "You are embarrassing yourself." The King gestured back to Golzine. "Take him away."

          Eiji Okumura might have said something else, then―but Ash didn't hear it. He felt Golzine's hand on his neck again, and then he was being pushed toward the door. He placed one foot in front of the other. He didn't look back, but he could feel eyes boring on his skull. Four of them. Two were pale and harsh. But the other set were soft and warm and filled with miserable regret.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Eiji Okumura kicked his bedroom door closed. He stormed over to his bed and threw himself down on it. _Stupid Father. Stupid Golzine. Stupid―gah!_ Eiji balled his hands into fists and struck the mattress beneath him. It made a muted thump, and didn't make him feel any better.

          He jumped to his feet and stormed through his chamber. It was smaller than one might expect a prince's room to be, but Eiji didn't need much space. There were a few bookshelves filled to the brim with a colorful assortment of novels on a wide arrangement of subjects. His bed occupied only a small fraction of the space. Eiji had no visitors and no need of extra space.

          Deciding it was much too warm in his room, Eiji threw the balcony doors open and stormed out to overlook the garden.

          The trees were full and green. It was a pleasant end to Spring, the warmth of Summer beginning to ease toward the kingdom. Soon it would be too hot to do much of anything―but Eiji's mind was reeling too much to enjoy the Springtime air while it lasted.

          As soon as the man claiming to be Ash Lynx had been hauled away by Dino Golzine, Eiji had whirled on his father. " _Are you insane?_ " he'd snarled. " _You can't just―you can't convict an innocent man, Father! That's not what a king should―_ "

          Eiji hadn't seen the blow coming.

          One moment he'd been glaring at his father. The next he was on his knees, clutching his right cheek. Unpleasant warmth radiated down his face and into his neck. His knees ached where he'd landed. Eiji withdrew his fingers and looked at them. Then he lifted his head and stared at his father.

          " _Speak to me like that again_ ," the king said, his voice low and dangerous, " _in front of an audience or otherwise, and I'll have you thrown in the dungeons with him_."

          Eiji had forced himself to his feet. Forced down the swell of frustrated tears. Without a nod or an apology, Eiji had turned on his heel and stomped out of the throne room with as much dignity as he could muster. His face burned with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. No doubt the strike had left a mark. Anyone who saw it would know his father had struck him. Again.

          Eiji clenched his fists and bit his lower lip. It just...didn't feel right. Convicting a man of a crime without a proper trial seemed wrong. Backward. Something a lesser kingdom might do, but something Eiji had hoped his own family was well above.

          A sound flitted through the gardens. Eiji turned his head toward the noise. Three women came wandering out from the hedges, strolling through the gardens in their Spring colors.

          Eiji didn't care much for his father's courtiers. Those who sought his father's attention were not people Eiji cared to engage with. Even so, he found himself watching the three women drift closer to where his balcony overlooked. They wore elegant clothes―long dresses that covered them from neck to ankle with ornate designs, in an arrangement of pastel colors. The one in the center, a woman with long black hair curled into a beautiful arrangement of braids, wore a pale purple dress that swept the ground as she walked. The other two had dull brown hair, cropped close to their chins, and similar dresses in canary yellow and pale blue.

          Eiji might not have had much of an eye for fashion, but he didn't think the outfits looked appealing.

          From his spot on the balcony, Eiji watched the black-haired woman smooth her hands down her dress. "It's such a beautiful day," she said, and her voice was deeper and more familiar than Eiji had been expecting.

          He flinched and drew back from the balcony, out of immediate sight. Now that the group approached, Eiji realized the woman in purple was not a woman at all. Yut-Lung Lee, a nobleman whose family had made an alliance with King Okumura, often dressed in elaborate and ornate clothing that made him stand out from the rest of the men. He was beautiful in a cold sort of way―and though he could smile and pretend and spread pleasantries with others, he and Eiji had never quite seen eye to eye.

          "It is, my lord," one of the woman piped up.

          "Did you hear they caught the thief?" the other woman cried suddenly. "Ash Lynx?"

          Eiji crept toward the railing and peered over.

          "Ash Lynx?" Yut-Lung lifted his head and gazed into the sky, pretending to be deep in thought. Eiji saw through it. Yut-Lung, like many other nobles in King Okumura's court, had been the victim of Ash Lynx's thievery. Several of his best jewelry and ninety-percent of his wardrobe had gone missing overnight. "The thief of Sherwood, am I correct?"

          Yut-Lung stopped beneath Eiji's balcony. No doubt he knew exactly where he was. It was also likely he knew Eiji was listening in.

          "You are, my lord," the woman in yellow said, her voice filled with excitement. "You're absolutely right!"

          "They have finally caught him, then?"

          "Yes, my lord," replied the other woman. "Just this morning, or so I heard."

          Yut-Lung made a low humming sound in his throat.

          "I also heard," the woman in blue said, lowering her voice into what Eiji thought she might have expected to be a whisper, "that Prince Eiji tried to defend him."

          At that, Yut-Lung raised an eyebrow. "Defend him?"

          "Yes," said the woman in yellow. "My fiance is one of the guards, and he told me that Prince Eiji shouted at his father for throwing the thief in the dungeon. He said the thief might actually be innocent."

          Yut-Lung dismissed this bit of information with a wave of his hand. "Prince Eiji is a fool." He took a step toward the balcony. "King Okumura's judgment is all that truly matters, in this kingdom. If the prince chooses to think the thief is innocent, then perhaps it might be worth noting that the prince might know more than he lets on."

          The woman in yellow clutched her chest and gasped. "My lord! Are you suggesting that Prince Eiji might be―" She seemed to realize she was shouting, and lowered her voice into a loud whisper, "A _traitor?_ "

          "It fits, I suppose," Yut-Lung replied. "I would never make such wild accusations, of course. But it seems to me that it might be in the kingdom's best interest if a close eye was kept on Prince―"

          A flowerpot smashed just inches from Yut-Lung's feet.

          The women gave a series of startled squawks and jumped back.

          Yut-Lung whirled around and glared daggers up at the balcony. Dirt had exploded from the pot and splattered on the side of his purple robes. Eiji ducked away from the balcony before the two women had spotted him, but he could feel Yut-Lung's eyes piercing through him as he marched back into his bedroom.

          _A traitor, am I?_

          Eiji sat on the edge of his bed and smiled into the darkness.

          _A traitor, indeed_.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

The dungeon was no better nor worse than Ash Lynx had been anticipating.

          His cell sat as far from the main entrance as possible. He'd gone down a twisting set of stairs, down a long corridor, and then down another set of steps. Descending into the bowels of Sherwood Castle had left him with a bad taste in his mouth. It felt like the whole castle was swallowing him up. Burying him alive. _I am not afraid of anything_ , Ash told himself. _I am not afraid_.

          Ash kicked his feet back and forth and surveyed his prison cell.

          The guards had given him one he suspected was made for someone much shorter than himself. The stone ceiling sat low enough that Ash thought he might need to crouch if he wanted to stand upright. Sitting with his back against the wall, legs stretched straight out, Ash's feet almost touched the other wall. There was no room to stretch out and lay comfortably―but Ash supposed the comfort of a prisoner was the last thing on King Okumura's mind.

          Dino Golzine had deposited Ash into his cell and shut the door without a word. Ash felt those eyes boring into his back for a good while after the other guards had left. Dino Golzine hadn't spoken much in the halls, but Ash suspected that, without an audience, he had quite a bit to say.

          Ash watched Golzine from the corner of his eye. Now that he mulled the name over in his head, he wondered how he had forgotten the good Sheriff so easily.

          King Okumura had enlisted assistance in gathering taxes from his citizens. The man he'd found for the job was just as cruel as he was―some would argue more so. Dino Golzine took without consideration. He offered "relief" when what he meant was "interest". A deal with Dino Golzine was nothing any citizen wanted to make. But times were growing desperate.

          "The infamous Ash Lynx," Dino Golzine droned.

          Ash's lips lifted at the corners. "That would be me."

          "This can go smoothly," Dino Golzine went on, as if Ash hadn't spoken. "Tell us where your band of warriors is, and your death with be painless."

          Ash snorted.

          "In times such as these, I wouldn't turn my nose to such a gift. We have ways of dragging this out, Ash Lynx. We have ways of making you wish you'd accepted my offer the first time."

          Ash turned around in his cramped little cell and flashed Dino a wide smile. He made certain to show all of his teeth―not quite baring them, but letting Golzine know he was a wild animal, and it was quite unwise to cage a wild animal.

          "Sounds fun," Ash purred.

          "You'll learn," was all Dino Golzine said in reply. "They all do."

          Without another word, the man in the pressed gray suit wandered down the dimly lit corridor. Ash heard a heavy door slam behind him, and then he was left alone in the dungeon.

          He settled back against the wall and shut his eyes. He supposed he was truly alone, then. He hadn't seen or heard or smelled any other prisoners in the dungeon when Golzine had shoved him down the long hallway. _Just as well_ , Ash thought. He didn't want much of an audience tonight, anyway.

          He wondered if Shorter and the others had made it out safe. Someone in their group had betrayed them to the authorities―Ash had no idea who, but he knew that Shorter would weed them out in no time. _Just give them a few hours_ , Ash told himself. _Give them a few hours to work things out, and then they'll figure out how to get me out of here_. He folded his hands behind his head and exhaled through his nose. It might not have been a comfortable prison cell, but Ash Lynx had grown used to discomfort.

          Ash thought of his gang, then. It seemed impossible that any of them would have betrayed him. The thought left a bad taste in his mouth.

          Ash's gang had been his family for as long as Ash could remember. Shorter had come first. On the day Aslan Jade Callenreese had shed his name and become Ash Lynx, a boy had met him in the woods and offered him bread and some water. Ash's pride had forced him to shove the boy's offering away, but hunger eventually won out. To his shame, Ash had sat beside the boy beneath the shade of the trees and devoured the entire loaf of bread and drank the entire canteen. The boy had simply watched him for a long time, never speaking.

          After Ash had finished pouring the water down his throat, he handed it back to the boy with a glare. " _Don't think this means anything_."

          " _Nope, it does_ ," replied the boy, flashing Ash a big smile. There had been a gap between his front teeth. One of them had only recently fallen out. " _You look sad, and I'm going to be your friend. My name's Shorter. Shorter Wong_."

          From that moment, Shorter had become Ash's steadfast friend. As adolescence washed over both of them and transformed them into strong young men, Shorter's steps had always been right beside him. When Ash announced to his gang that he intended to rob the King of Sherwood blind and return wealth to the starving men and women of the village, Shorter had been with him through it all.

          _Shorter's not going to leave me here_ , Ash thought. _He made it back to Sherwood Forest in one piece. All of them did. Shorter will find the traitor. He'll find him and take care of it, and then he'll figure out how to break me out of here. Just relax_.

          There came a sound, then―a small gust of wind through the dungeon.

          Ash blinked, and then Prince Eiji appeared on the other side of the bars.

          " _Shit!_ " Ash sprang back away from the bars. His hands scrambled on the ground, bits of gravel scraping white lines on his palms. "What the―how the hell did you sneak up on me?"

          "Oh, I'm sorry!" Prince Eiji replied, his dark eyes going wide with surprise. "I just―I just told the guards to let me in, and they did. I didn't think I was being that quiet. I didn't mean to scare you."

          _I'm not afraid of anything_. Ash lanced the Crown Prince with a nasty glare. "You didn't," he spat, and was grateful when the lie made Prince Eiji's shoulders jolt. "Is there something I can help you with, Your _Highness?_ Or do you often spend time in dungeons?"

          To his credit, Prince Eiji didn't flinch back from Ash's violent tone. He crouched down― _What kind of idiot is he? Getting eye-level with a prisoner_ ―and looked into the bars. His expression was strange. His lips were pressed into a thin line. His eyes shimmered in the dim light. Ash was stricken by Prince Eiji's beauty once again. He looked plain, in his own right, but there was something in his gentle appearance that made Ash instantly want to trust whatever words came from his mouth. _He's dangerous_ , Ash thought. _Very dangerous_.

          "I have a question for you," Prince Eiji said.

          Ash flashed his teeth once again. He'd been doing that a lot today. "Go for it."

          "Are you actually Ash Lynx?"

          Ash reclined and gestured down to himself and said, in a grand voice, "In the flesh, Your Highness."

          "You're actually him?"

          "Yes."

          "But you're so young."

          Ash barked out a surprised laugh. "You're not much older."

          Prince Eiji pressed his lips into a thin line. He looked distressed. Now that Ash's eyes had adjusted to the darkness, he noticed something he had overlooked. A dark bruise bloomed on the prince's right cheek. A delicate purple flower that spread over his cheekbone. Ash had thought it was merely a shadow cast from the darkness of the dungeon.

          "Walk into a door on your way down, Your Highness?" Ash inquired.

          Prince Eiji lifted his head and stared into Ash's eyes. "You are Ash Lynx." Ash's shoulders dropped, and he sighed softly. No point in asking stupid questions, then. He should have guessed the king wouldn't appreciate defiance. "Why are you stealing from noble families?"

          Ash blinked at him. "They have the most money."

          "You know what I meant," Prince Eiji replied.

          "You nobles are all the same," Ash said. He curled his fingers around the bars. "You're fine destroying people's lives and taking from them until there's nothing left. But when it's your turn, suddenly everything's a crime." Ash flashed his teeth and spat, "You make me sick. Your entire family dragged Sherwood to the ground. You might have caught me, sure―but you're an idiot if you think this is over."

          Prince Eiji stared back at him. His eyes had widened, and the surprise on his face was...unusual. For a moment, Ash wondered if Prince Eiji truly hadn't known about the plight of the people beyond the walls of Sherwood Castle. A mixture of disgust and pity swelled through Ash's stomach.

          Prince Eiji pressed his lips into a thin line and said, "I didn't...I didn't think about that."

          "Why would you?" Ash spat. "Do you nobles ever think of anyone beside yourselves?"

          Prince Eiji took the insult well enough. He nodded once and eased back from the bars. "You're right. We don't. I knew my father was a cruel man, but I never imagined that he would..." He shook his head and folded his hands in front of his chest. "I don't spend a lot of time outside the castle. My father doesn't allow it. I tried to sneak out once, but Golzine caught me. It's not an excuse. I'm next in line for the throne. I should know―I should know what happens with my people."

          "You should," Ash replied, though his chest thrummed with a bit more pity than irritation.

          Prince Eiji folded his arms across his chest and rested his chin on his hands. "Rumor has it that you've lived outside Sherwood most of your life. You must have seen much in your travels."

          "That's a very long story, Your Highness," Ash said.

          Prince Eiji sat back beyond the bars. "We have some time."

          Ash stared at him for a long while, trying to figure out what his intentions were. Prince Eiji wasn't asking him anything about the location of his gang―and Ash wasn't stupid enough to hand out information that could jeopardize his friends. After the display in the throne room, Prince Eiji didn't seem to have much power. _He's not much of a threat_ , Ash thought.

          And so he opened his mouth and told Prince Eiji about the world beyond the walls of the castle. The plight of the people of Sherwood and the corruption spreading through the kingdom. And Prince Eiji simply sat beyond the bars and listened. As the lights in the dungeon cast shadows across his cheeks and turned his eyes to black oil, Crown Prince Eiji Okumura listened to a thief.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Days bled into weeks. Weeks bled into a month. Shorter Wong was no closer to finding a way to spring Ash Lynx from the prison cells of Sherwood Castle. Ash Lynx sat in the prison cells of Sherwood and listened, day after day, as Dino Golzine attempted to interrogate him.

          It was amusing, in its own right. Ash offered no information, and as the days went on, he could see Golzine growing more and more frustrated. Some days they left him alone in his prison cell. Other days they sent him only the barest amounts of food and water needed for survival. Some days they threatened him with violence and physical harm, but Ash would simply smile and reply, " _That sounds fun_."

          There was only a single constant in Ash's life in prison, and that was Eiji Okumura.

          Something like a friendship had bloomed between them before Ash could do anything to prevent it. Eiji Okumura―who Ash had been instructed to call "Eiji" rather than "Your Highness"―snuck down into the dungeons almost every day to visit him.

          Ash had been wary of Eiji at first. He'd spent hours agonizing about what Eiji could possibly be playing at by pretending to befriend him. Years of witnessing abuse from the royal family had made Ash skeptical of trusting the Crown Prince of all people―but Eiji had calmed those concerns in a matter of days.

          Eiji never asked Ash anything about the location of Sherwood Forest. He never asked him about the appearances of his gang. He never asked for names. Eiji simply asked Ash for stories and offered his own in return.

          More than that, Eiji offered Ash companionship.

          There were similarities between the two of them. Often times, Eiji vented about Dino Golzine and his cruelty. Other times, Ash told Eiji about the people whose lives had been saved by the riches he'd plundered from greedy nobles.

          Without meaning to, Ash found himself anticipating Eiji's visits.

          He appreciated Eiji's friendship. He appreciated the laughs both of them shared and the disagreements they sometimes got into. Ash liked when Eiji snuck food from the kitchens down to him. He liked when Eiji told him court gossip that might have been useful to him when he got out. Ash liked it when Eiji said _when_. It meant Eiji had faith he would escape.

          A month was not a lot of time.

          So much had grown between them in those few days.

          On one particular night, Eiji asked, "You've stolen from almost every noble family at least once, right?"

          "Yup," Ash replied.

          "But never from my family."

          "A bit harder to get in, I'm afraid." Ash rested a hand on his chin and flashed Eiji a wide grin. "But don't worry―when I get out of here, you're next on my list."

          "Oh?" Eiji slid forward and curled his fingers around the bars. "And what would you steal from me?"

          Ash slid forward as well. "Something of value."

          "Hmm." Eiji tilted his head close to the bars. Ash could feel a puff of breath against his cheeks. "And what do I have of value?"

          Ash tilted his face to the side and inched forward, without thinking much of it. "Something you've never given anyone else before, I suppose." He reached out his hand, fingers through the bars. Eiji was close enough that Ash could take a strand of his hair in the tips of his fingers. It was soft. "Something you would only want to give to one person."

          "And what would that be?" Eiji murmured.

          Ash leaned forward―or perhaps it was Eiji who leaned forward first.

          The bars kept them far enough apart that their lips could only brush. A faint dust of skin overlapping each other. Ash's lips were chapped, just slightly. Eiji's were cool and tasted just a bit like green apples.

          It didn't last forever. Ash leaned back and looked into Eiji's eyes. The first time he'd seen them, he could have sworn they were a deep black. Upon closer inspection, he could see flecks of gold and amber embedded in the iris. _Gemstones in their own right_ , Ash thought. He wondered if Eiji ever looked at him and noticed the true colors of his eyes. Noticed the flecks of blue and the ring of gold around his pupil.

          "And what would you take from me now?" Eiji murmured. He hadn't pulled back too far from the prison cell. "You've stolen that from me."

          "I'll give it back to you, then," Ash replied, "and steal it all over again."

          "Hmm," Eiji said, his lips drawing back into a delicate smile. "I think I might like that." He bent forward and knocked his head against the bars. Ash mimicked the action, and brought his hand up. Eiji laced their fingers together and held them in a loose grip. "I think I might enjoy that very much."

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

A day and a half later, Ash Lynx heard the doors bang open at the end of the hall. His lips quirked into an amused smile. _Not Eiji, then_. Whenever Eiji came to visit him, Ash almost never heard him coming. Eiji was light and delicate on his feet. The heavy thumps echoing down the hall told Ash it was someone much different.

          _Shorter_ , Ash thought, lifting his eyes and peering into the smug face of Dino Golzine, _you better have a **damn** good reason for taking this long_.

          "Still clinging to your secrets, are you?" Dino Golzine remarked. He hadn't said much to Ash in the few days since Ash had kissed Eiji. Ash might have found it suspicious, but his mind was otherwise occupied with thoughts of a certain dark-haired prince.

          "A man without a few secrets isn't really a man at all, now, is he?" Ash replied, flashing Dino Golzine a wide smile. It was becoming habit, one he had every intention of keeping. Eiji liked it when he smiled.

          Dino Golzine didn't respond. He stood on the other end of the iron bars keeping Ash trapped inside. To his right, Ash could see the guards from that first day a month ago in the shadows, listening intently. Golzine's eyes shimmered in the darkness. It made Ash a bit sick to be looking into them. Made him feel like a cow that had been brought to the slaughter.

          "Shorter Wong," Golzine said, and Ash's heart jammed into his throat. "So _that_ caught your attention."

          Ash sat back and said nothing.

          "You should be careful who you share secrets with, Ash Lynx." Golzine gestured to the guards standing over his shoulders. All of them stepped forward, dressed in the same black suits Ash remembered from his first arrival to the dungeons. "The only reason you heard me arrive was because I _wanted_ you to hear me. Do you think Eiji Okumura is the only one who knows how to move without making sound?"

          Ash swallowed a lump in his throat.

          "He didn't betray you," Dino Golzine said, his voice rising into something resembling pity. If not for the sick grin plastered on his face, Ash might have thought it was genuine. "I doubt that idiotic prince has enough brain cells in that head of his to even _think_ of betraying you. He walks around like some love-sick puppy."

          Ash curled his fingers into fists.

          "But in the end, you were just using him, weren't you?" Golzine cocked his head to the side. "Would you have slept with him, if he freed you? If he betrayed his kingdom? Did you enjoy knowing that he was falling in love with you, while you were using him to enact your revenge?"

          Behind Golzine, the three guards snickered.

          "There are rumors of treachery, of course," Golzine went on. "Eiji Okumura has walked a dangerous path. There are many who believe he has been seduced by the infamous Ash Lynx, and that he might even be willing to risk everything just to set him free. That boy's too stupid to ever go through with such a plan, of course. But can you imagine the chaos that would unfurl once it spreads through the kingdom?"

          Ash lifted his head and glared deep into Golzine's beady eyes. He hoped Golzine saw the fire burning inside him. Hoped Golzine understood that when Ash managed to get free of these bars, he would take him down, too.

          "I thought I recognized you from somewhere," Golzine said after a long moment. "You're attractive, but there are others with similar looks. But those eyes of yours. I could never forget those eyes." Golzine cocked his head the other way. "Aslan Jade Callenreese."

          Ash snapped his head upright. Words died in his throat.

          "Your father was an eccentric. A madman in the making. Your mother? Hmph. Not much to look at, but decent enough. And that older brother of yours? He should have learned not to meddle in affairs that didn't involve him. He might have lived longer."

          "You _bastard!_ " Ash slammed his fist against the bars.

          "Did you think it was King Okumura who issued that sentence?" Golzine tossed his hand and laughed. "His Majesty didn't even know your father existed. He was a fool and a threat to this kingdom, and I had him removed. The King doesn't care for those wretched commoners. As long as the coins continue to come, he doesn't care what we do with them."

          " _I'll kill you_." Ash clutched the bars so tight, his knuckles lost their color. " _Do you understand me?_ "

          "Hmm. Oh, you're definitely frightening." Golzine turned away from Ash's cell and dismissed the guards with another wave of his hand. "But a caged lynx is no more dangerous than an imaginary one."

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Ash screamed and slammed his fists against the stone walls. His knuckles had burst open hours ago, blood smeared across his fingers. Tears had poured down his cheeks as the dungeon doors banged shut, but they had cooled and dried on his skin.

          _Griffin_

          _Dad_.

          _I'll kill him_.

          _I'll kill him_.

          _I'll **kill him**_.

          Ash slammed his fist against the bars one more time and then slumped to his knees. He gasped for breath. He tasted blood and bile on his tongue. The edges of his vision went gray and red, and it was all he could do to keep from smashing his head against the bars, too.

          The door opened again, and Ash's rage exploded out of him. " _I'm going to rip you apart_ ," he called down to the figure who paced down the hall. "Do you hear me? You are dead!"

          The dim light illuminated a tall figure who swooped around from the corner of the cell and stood in front of it. He had his hands on his hips. He looked down at Ash with piercing amber eyes and a scowl on his face.

          "Fine, then," Shorter Wong replied. "Then I guess I _won't_ let you out of here."

          Ash huffed out a shocked, sudden breath. "H―how the hell did you―?"

          "Not the time." Shorter produced a golden key from his pocket. Ash noticed he was dressed from head to toe in the same black suits as the guards. He wondered how Shorter had managed to sneak past them all, despite wearing the same uniforms. Shorter's purple hair would have stuck out like a sore thumb. Shorter twisted the key, and the door swung open with a creaking groan. "God, you stink. Come on, get up."

          Ash stretched his legs out. Shorter offered him a hand up, and Ash gratefully took it. He let Shorter haul him to his feet. His knees wobbled like a newborn calf's. He used Shorter for support, and then once he was upright, the two of them quickly began to hurry down the hall and toward the door.

          "How are we going to get out?" Ash whispered, standing close behind Shorter. "The guards―"

          "The guards are a bit preoccupied at the moment," Shorter replied. He pulled the door open and hurried out. Ash stole one last look at the dungeon, at the rows of empty cells, and then hurried out as well.

          There was a large flight of stairs that Ash remembered being guided down a month ago. Shorter bustled him up it now. Ash took them two at a time, squinting into the small square of light that appeared at the top.

          Shorter quickly dashed out into the brightness, and Ash ducked along after him. They were deposited right in the middle of a hall filled with stained glass windows. Ash could see, from the dark shading, that it was sometime in the dead of night. He drew in deep breaths and tasted the glorious air. _Free_. He was finally free. He turned and looked over at Shorter―and found Eiji smiling back at him.

          "Hello," Eiji said.

          Shorter stood beside Eiji and gestured to him. "Our little prince here decided to instigate a distraction, of sorts. He let us know the best ways to enter into the castle. Been scouting it out for weeks. Then he managed to sneak the key away from the head guard. The rest of it was up to us, of course, but it took a bit of planning." Shorter flashed Ash a bright smile. "Sorry it took so long. We're here now."

          Ash turned and shot Eiji an incredulous look.

          Eiji smiled back at him. "You didn't think I was completely useless, did you?"

          "I didn't think you were useless at all," Ash said, just a bit breathless.

          Eiji looked at Ash for a long, quiet moment, and then he jerked his chin toward the other end of the hall. "You should―you should both go. I can keep the guards distracted for a while. Your gang will be safe, Ash. I promise. I'll make sure none of them get caught."

          "We've been avoiding the law for years," Shorter said with a laugh. "We're not going down without a fight."

          Eiji looked at Ash again. His lips were pressed in a thin line. "Then...this is goodbye, Ash."

          "Not forever." Ash stepped forward and brushed a lock of Eiji's hair from his face. "Remember? You're next on my list."

          Eiji flashed him a large smile. It was beautiful. Something Ash committed to memory and refused to let go of. He stored it tight, as he followed Shorter down the hall without a glance back. It was _not_ forever. He would return. He was a master thief, after all. He had a mission to complete.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Eiji watched Ash Lynx and Shorter Wong sprint down the hall until there was nothing left but two little specks. Tears pricked at the corners of eyes. He forced them down. _No time for this now_ , Eiji thought. He had a distraction to maintain.

          He turned and opened his mouth to shout―and then a hand clamped around his jaw.

          "You little _traitor_ ," snarled Dino Golzine.

          Eiji's heart slammed in his chest. Golzine had never snuck up on him before.

          "Did you think I wouldn't notice you sneaking around? Did you think you were completely under my radar?" Golzine tightened his grip on Eiji's jaw. He could taste blood between his teeth. "Someone ought to cage that tongue of yours, Your Highness. Before you bring this kingdom to the _ground_."

          Eiji clutched Golzine's wrist, but couldn't pry himself free. His vision blurred black at the edges. Golzine was peppered with gray spots. Eiji lost feeling in the tips of his fingers. In his toes. His mind twisted and then Eiji fell into the shadows, his thoughts reaching out to the blond lynx who had been released from his cage.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

The trip back to Sherwood Forest felt long and foreign. Ash's feet hadn't walked this path in days. Weeks. Ducking beneath the branches and winding around village carts filled Ash with a wild rush that made his whole body sing. _Home_. Ash Lynx was home once again.

          His muscles ached from sprinting through the village. His steps matched Shorter's. His second-in-command. His friend. Ash had never given up hope that Shorter would come for him―and his patience had been rewarded.

          Once the shadows of the tree branches fell over him, Ash slowed to a peaceful jog.

          Shorter lined up alongside him and jogged backward. "You were in there awhile," he said. "How do you feel?"

          "Restless," Ash replied.

          "I'll bet." Shorter stepped over a loose branch on the ground and gracefully avoided falling to the dirt. "So...you and Prince Eiji, huh?"

          Ash's shoulders shot to his ears. "What about it?"

          "I'm just surprised, is all." Shorter turned around and faced forward. The shadows fell over his cheekbones, accenting their sharpness. "You were captured, and while we were scrambling to make ends meet and figure things out, you were in there seducing a prince."

          Ash pressed his lips into a thin line.

          "He surprised us, you know," Shorter said. "My sister told me the prince had been asking questions. Inquiring about how to contact associates of Ash Lynx. She didn't trust him, but she got his message to me."

          "His message?" Ash echoed.

          "He wanted to help us break you out," Shorter said. "We thought it was a trap at first―but when the messages kept coming, we decided to take a risk. Turns out we were right to trust him. We got you back because of Prince Eiji. Guess that means we owe him a debt now."

          Ash slowed down, almost to a complete stand-still. "Who was it?" he asked. "Who betrayed us?"

          Shorter's eyes darkened. "Arthur."

          Ash shut his eyes and exhaled. Of course it would have been Arthur. Hiding in the shadows and spreading rumors, Arthur had always been someone in the gang Ash had never felt truly respected his leadership. _He put the entire gang at risk_ , Ash thought, for something as stupid as jealousy. He swallowed a bolt of anger and said, "Do you think we can trust Prince Eiji?"

          "More than anyone else in that castle," Shorter replied.

          Ash folded his arms over his chest. "The others―they were part of that _distraction_ , weren't they?"

          "Heh. Sure enough." Shorter shot Ash a sideways grin. "Prince Eiji told us some of the best ways to get into the castle. Said most of the staff would be distracted because of the masquerade in a few days. Told us he'd keep the guards running around the castle so the gang could escape. And even if he _did_ betray us, you know the gang. We've been avoiding the law for years. Now that we have a way in, we'll find a way out."

          "And Arthur?" asked Ash.

          "Not a concern," Shorter answered, and Ash left it at that.

          He leaned against one of the trees. "So...Prince Eiji mentioned a masquerade, did he?"

          "Yup. Some event where a bunch of nobles will be gathering. No idea what they're celebrating. But when has that ever stopped them before?"

          Ash ran his tongue over his lower lip. "Plenty of riches to be plundered when a group of nobles gets together." He shot Shorter a wide smile. "Let's wait for the gang to get back, and then we'll regroup."

          Shorter lifted his amber eyes and locked them with Ash's own green ones. Shorter smiled back at him. "Good to have you back, Ash," he said. He reached out and grasped Ash by the forearm―and Ash felt the shattered pieces of himself connect back together. He was the Thief of Sherwood. He was the infamous Ash Lynx. And he was home once again.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Eiji's consciousness returned to him in waves. His head felt heavy and stiff. Tears crusted his eyelids together. Peeling them open felt like ripping glue from his skin. Eiji grit his teeth and sucked in a deep breath.

          "Good. You've awoken."

          Dino Golzine's voice cut through Eiji's mind like a serrated knife.

          Wincing, Eiji twisted his head away.

          "I warned you, Your Highness," Golzine went on. He sounded smug―Eiji could picture the way his lips curled at the edges. "I warned you someone would cage that tongue of yours one day."

          Eiji's eyes flew open.

          There was something wrapped around the lower half of his face.

          He bolted upright and grasped the weight around his neck. It moved with him as he sat up. Golzine had placed a cage around him―a muzzle of metal bars and leather straps that covered his nose and mouth. A disbelieving sob erupted from Eiji's lips. He gripped the top of the mask and tried to tear it off. His fingers hooked through the top, sitting just below his eyes, but no matter how hard he pulled, Eiji couldn't remove it.

          Golzine watched Eiji struggle with the cage. He stepped forward, seized one of the bars, and pulled Eiji forward. "Let's see your thief pick this lock." He released his grip; Eiji collapsed forward, hands scrambling on the edge of his mattress so he wouldn't fall. "You should be grateful I didn't cut your tongue out."

          Eiji shot him a piercing glare.

          "Now, now. Mind your temper." Golzine smiled down at Eiji and ran his finger over a small golden key suspended from his thick neck. "I'll let you out of there―once that thief has been properly removed. Let's hope for your sake it happens before you starve."

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

The night of the masquerade, Ash stood beside Shorter dressed in a black tuxedo. He'd managed to scrape it together from a woman whose husband had left it behind when he'd abandoned her. Ash was surprised it fit him―but it would do in a pinch.

          Shorter leaned against the door and said, "Well, the gang's all set to go. Skip's more excited than anyone else."

          "I'll bet."

          Shorter handed Ash the mask he'd been clutching in his hand. It was shaped like a cat's face. Not a lynx, exactly, but feline in structure all the same.

          "Not exactly subtle," Ash replied with a slight laugh.

          "No one's going to be looking at you," Shorter said, shooting him a wide grin.

          Ash took the mask in his hand and peered into it. He wondered if Eiji would recognize him through it. Wondered if the prince would be able to spot him the moment he arrived. He hoped Golzine would be to preoccupied to notice Ash Lynx sweeping into the courtyard and bleeding into the group of nobles in ridiculous costumes. "This will be fun," Ash said, lifting the mask up and settling it around his face. "After all, who doesn't love a masquerade?"

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Eiji looked into the mirror and fought back a wave of tears. He would not give Golzine the satisfaction of seeing him cry. Ash would never let Golzine hold that sort of power over him. Ash would cage his screams behind his clenched teeth and let his revenge chill until he could freeze the whole kingdom with it.

          Eiji could do that, too―had done it in the past.

          When Golzine hauled Eiji's mother off to prison, Eiji had quelled his screams. When his father turned a blind eye to Eiji's concerns, he'd bitten back his need to call him a fool. Ash had never let Golzine have power over him. Eiji could rise above it. He could keep his chin raised and laugh in Golzine's face. He could pretend this humiliation didn't bother him. He could pretend everything would be all right.

          Eiji had spent hours examining the contraption. It was a muzzle, for all intents and purposes. Trapped around his neck with heavy iron and only a few leather straps. Eiji thought it made him look completely mad. Someone who needed to be locked away.

          _I am a prince_ , Eiji told himself, looking into the mirror and urging his heart to slow. _I am a prince, and this will not break me_.

          Standing from the vanity mirror, Eiji walked to his bed. Spread out on top of the comforter was his costume for the evening's masquerade. It had been tailored to accommodate the cage―the neckline cut low, putting the iron collar on full display. Eiji had remained in his room since Golzine put the cage on him. The other nobles would think it as simply a part of his costume.

          Eiji wondered if his father knew what Golzine had done.

          He wondered if he cared.

          Eiji had to prepare for the possibility that his father might have agreed to the cage's application. He wanted to doubt it. He wanted to believe his father would never allow something so cruel to befall anyone, let alone his own son. But Eiji had been fooled before.

          He dressed without a word. His costume resembled a suit: crafted of a beautiful silver material that rippled with color when he moved. He didn't know what he should tell people if they asked about the cage. If I tell them Golzine put it on me, Eiji thought bitterly, doing up the buttons, will it even matter?

          "Well, now. That's quite the fashion statement."

          Yut-Lung stood in the door, hip cocked against the frame. He was dressed in a set of long black robes that made his hair shimmer like the feathers of a raven. His eyes were rimmed with red, his skin painted with white that looked haunting and otherworldly. His hair sat piled on top of his head like a crown.

          "What are you supposed to be?" Yut-Lung inquired, cocking an eyebrow.

          "Aggravated," Eiji replied.

          Yut-Lung snorted. Even that managed to look elegant.

          Eiji shouldered past him. He went to stalk out of the room, but Yut-Lung made a low sound in the back of his throat. "I wouldn't wander about alone, if I were you," he said. "I have been personally requested to escort you to your father. What with all these rumors floating around."

Eiji flicked his eyes over to Yut-Lung. " _What_ rumors?"

"Why, of your treachery, of course." Yut-Lung tapped his chin with an elegant finger. "Rumor has it the infamous Ash Lynx managed to escape capture because of _your_ interference. Naturally, this is all _rumor_ , you understand. If you arrive at the masquerade and _behave_ yourself, then this whole rumor business can all just go away."

          Eiji pressed his lips together. He doubted Yut-Lung could see them behind the cage. "You're threatening me."

          "Not a threat." Yut-Lung stepped away from the door and peered down into Eiji's face. "Merely a suggestion. A...friendly bit of advice, if you will."

          Ignoring him, Eiji wandered down the hall. Yut-Lung followed close behind. Eiji kept his chin held high and looked straight ahead. _Do not be afraid_ , he thought. _You will not be afraid_.

          Outside the castle, spilled out in the courtyard, a collection of nobles fluttered about in their fancy costumes. Colorful lights hung from the trees and the statues. Music swelled from all parts of the gardens. The roses and flowers were lit up beautiful shades of pink and red. Eiji could see his father sitting on a raised chair that oversaw everything. He set his jaw as he spotted Golzine lingering close-by, and set on a straight line toward them.

          Everyone turned and stared at him as he passed. Eiji nodded to them all in turn. No need to try hiding the cage. He stepped around the two women he'd seen Yut-Lung hanging around the previous evening. He watched them lift their hands and whisper to each other. Saw their eyes flicker to the muzzle wrapped around his chin.

          _I am not afraid_. Eiji raised his chin and stared daggers at Golzine and King Okumura as both of them turned and watching him ascend the steps.

          "There you are, Your Highness," Golzine purred. He was dressed in a gray suit, as always. He hadn't dressed for the masquerade, though Eiji hadn't been expecting him to. He lifted his goblet in greeting and said, "Quite an...interesting costume you have. Tell me, what was your inspiration?"

          Eiji prickled with anger, but forced it down inside himself. He flashed his brightest smile and said, raising his voice into the cheerful tone he saved simply for court, "I was rather inspired by our dungeons. The idea of being trapped against one's will. To show that sometimes things get locked away."

          "Watch yourself, boy," King Okumura said, his eyes shooting to Eiji's face.

          "No offense was intended, Father." Eiji dipped into a low bow. "I really _was_ inspired by the dungeons."

          Golzine narrowed his eyes.

          Satisfied, Eiji turned and observed the party. He'd never cared for masquerades in general, but this one felt...worse somehow. Eiji stood on display beside his father. There was no seat for him, but he felt better standing where all of them could see him rather than pretending to mingle. There was no one in the crowd he wanted to associate with, at any rate.

          And then Eiji lifted his head―and saw him.

          Ash lifted a finger to his lips and winked from behind a cat mask.

          He stood close to a table of refreshments. There were clusters of noblemen, women in large dresses, and servants bustling around. With so much coverage, it was easy to overlook Ash in his simple costume.

          Eiji looked around and jerked his chin over to the bushes. Set far enough back from the table and hidden well enough, Eiji thought it might be a good enough space to talk. Ash nodded back over the rim of a glass he'd plucked from one of the tables. He took a deep swig and then hurried through the crowd. No one paid attention to him as he crept by.

          "I think I'll go greet our guests," Eiji announced.

          His father raised a thick eyebrow. "You?"

          Eiji closed his eyes. "First time for everything."

          Golzine lifted his head and peered at the cage wrapped around Eiji's face. "I'd think long and hard before pulling something, Your Highness."

          "What would I possibly do?" Eiji reached up and brushed his fingertips over the swell of the cage. "I've learned my lesson."

          "Let's hope," King Okumura replied.

          Eiji's stomach clenched at the acknowledgement that his father _had_ been partially responsible for the cage. While the knowledge was not surprising, it still stung like a slap in the face. Forcing himself not to tremble or cry, Eiji stepped down the steps and made his way into the crowd. He made certain to murmur greetings to at least a few of the guests to make sure Golzine and his father did not suspect anything.

          It took a bit of time to worm his way through the crowd, but Eiji managed well enough. He swept through the crowd, offering greetings, and soon found himself deposited on the edge of the bushes. Shadows fell across the leaves. Eiji squinted into the dim light―and spotted Ash lingering in the shadows.

          Ash lifted his empty glass in greeting.

          "Ash," Eiji said, breathless.

          "Evening." Ash sauntered forward and pressed a finger to the outside of the cage. " _This_ is a strange costume choice."

          "Not a costume," Eiji mumbled.

          Ash dropped his hand. "What?"

          Eiji reached up and gave one of the little bars a fierce tug. It didn't budge. "Golzine...caught me when you and Shorter were escaping. He knew I'd helped you escape. This is a, um, a punishment for that."

          The empty glass struck the ground and burst into a shower of diamonds.

          Eiji lifted his head. Ash's hands clamped on either side of the cage and gave a harsh tug. Eiji winced as the iron jolted around his neck. Ash let go of the cage and drew his hand back as if he'd been bitten. "Shit." He reached a hand out, then drew it back. "Just―Eiji, shit―"

          "It doesn't hurt," Eiji said, tapping a finger against the leather straps. "In case you were worried."

          "Of course I'm worried." Ash dragged his fingers through his hair. It was difficult, since his hair was plastered to his head by the straps of the mask he wore. "Eiji. You―I knew Golzine was bad, but I didn't think he would actually―"

          Eiji lifted his head and peered into Ash's eyes. "You didn't do this, Ash."

          "I know I didn't." Ash gave his hair a sharp yank, and then dropped his shoulders. "How do you get it off?"

          "There's a key around Golzine's neck," Eiji replied, with a sardonic laugh. "Good luck trying to get _that_ away from him."

          Ash lifted his head and gave Eiji a stern look. "Around his neck. Got it." He placed a hand on Eiji's cheek. He couldn't feel their skin touching, but he could feel the heat radiating from the tips of Ash's fingers. He smelled of wintergreen and the ruggedness of the earth. "I'll be right back. Give me ten minutes."

          "Ash―," Eiji started, and when Ash went to step around him, Eiji caught his wrist. "Wait! Just―just wait a second!"

          "What?" Ash's eyes flashed behind the mask.

          "You can't just walk up and rip the key from Golzine's neck."

          "Why not?"

          "Because―" Eiji threw his hands in the air and gestured to his muzzle. "Do you think _this_ is the worst thing that Golzine can do? So...what, then? You'll take the key from him, get the cage off, and then what? He'll know you did it, Ash. He'll put it back on me. He'll do something worse. And my father." Eiji's eyes pricked with tears. "My father let Golzine do this. He doesn't care about what happens to me, Ash. He doesn't care about anything but himself." Eiji gripped the cage and pulled on it, knowing it was useless. "I'm just so sick of all this. I'm sick of being useless."

          Ash caught Eiji's wrists and held them firmly, but gently. "You are _not_ useless."

          Eiji lifted his eyes.

          "You are not useless," Ash echoed. "And we'll figure this out."

          "How?"

          Ash lifted his head and peered out at the bushes. He and Eiji had wandered deep inside, surrounded on all sides by leaves. Music swelled around them, pulsing through the trees and thumping beneath their feet.

          "There's a contest toward the end of the masquerade," Ash said. "Isn't there?"

          "Yes," Eiji mumbled.

          "We intended to rob the nobles during that time," Ash explained. "We planned to sneak in while all of them were distracted and take as much as we could and flee. There's been a change of plan."

          Eiji looked at him, eyes wide.

          "Just stay beside your father," Ash murmured. He reached up and brushed his fingertips over Eiji's temple. "I know you don't have much of a reason to trust me right now, Eiji. But I trust you, and I'm going to fix this."

          "I trust you," Eiji said, and he meant it.

          Ash smiled. "Good." He tipped his head forward and pressed his lips against the iron bars of the cage. Eiji could feel the heat radiating from his skin. "Don't worry, Eiji. Remember, I told you you'd be next on my list, didn't I?"

          Eiji nodded. He locked eyes with Ash once more. He converted those pools of green into his memory in case everything fell apart around him. And then, without looking back, Eiji ducked out of the bushes and made his way back to his father and Golzine.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

Midnight chimed. The nobles had gathered around a series of colorful targets pinned against one of the stone walls of the castle. King Okumura stood on a raised platform that oversaw the crowd, with a clear view of the targets. Eiji stood at his side, hands folded in front of his waist. The skin beneath the cage had begun to itch, but Eiji's eyes flickered around the courtyard, searching for a flash of familiar blond hair.

          Golzine stood before the targets, a servant standing beside him. The servant held a silver tray, and spread out on the tray were three silver handguns.

          "Ladies and gentlemen," Golzine announced to the crowd. "Thank you for joining us this evening. It is my honor. My privilege. My pleasure. To welcome you to tonight's event. Our King has generously agreed to allow three lucky gentlemen to test out his newest weapons."

          A series of applause rose from the assembled crowd.

          Eiji put his hands together and gave a few claps to keep his father from suspecting anything.

          "Will our three contenders please step forward?"

          Three men broke away from the crowd and gathered before Golzine and the servant with the tray. One of them was short, with a crop of dust-brown hair. Young and scrawny as a rail, he was dressed up as a scarecrow. His mask sat heavy over his eyes, and Eiji couldn't get a good read on him. The second was very tall and broad, dressed up in dark gray with a heavy hood dragged over his head. Eiji couldn't see his face―but he could see a long braid of black and purple spilling over one of his shoulders.

          The third had changed into a black ensemble that seemed far too heavy to move about in. He wore a black hood over his hair, but Eiji caught a few glimpses of glorious gold in the light. Ash still wore a cat mask, but it had been switched out for one made of a deep black material that covered the majority of his face. Eiji wasn't certain how he knew that the third man _was_ Ash, but he felt it shooting through him. An instinct that set each of his nerves on fire.

          "Step forward, please," said Golzine, and the three contenders took a long stride forward.

          The servant lifted the tray. Each of the men took one of the handguns from the tray.

          "Your challenge is a simple one," Golzine said. "Each of you will aim at the targets, one at a time. You have three bullets in each gun. You will shoot at the target in front of you. The one who hits closest to the center of the target shall be declared the winner."

          A low cheer rose from the assembled crowd.

          The man with the long braid intoned, "And what will the winner receive as a prize?" His voice was a low rasp that Eiji almost had to strain to hear over the crowd.

          "The winner," Golzine announced, "will be given the honor of meeting our King and receiving a generous prize." He gestured to the targets and said, "Gentlemen. Take your marks, and remember: may the best man win."

          Eiji watched the first man step forward. He lifted his gun, tested its weight in his palms. He aimed the gun at the target. His finger tightened around the trigger. An explosion cracked through the crowd, and the target jolted. He cocked the hammer back and fired another blast into the target. It struck the first red ring, farthest from the bulls-eye. Then he lifted the gun a final time, tested his grip, and fired one last time. The target jolted, and a series of applause rose from the crowd. Soft and gentle―more out of necessity than any true admiration of skill.

          The second man stepped forward. He lifted the gun and peered at the target for a few moments. He took a deep breath and then pulled the trigger three times, each one in rapid succession. The bullets burst through the material, close to the bulls-eye, but not close enough.

          Eiji's hands went together in a series of quick claps. His eyes darted from his spot on the platform beside his father. He looked at Ash. Ash held the weight of the gun in his hand and peered down at it. His fingers ran over the material of the gun.

          "And now," announced Golzine, his voice rising over the assembled crowd. "Our final contestant."

          Ash lifted his head and stepped forward.

          Eiji's hands clamped in front of his chest.

          Ash held the gun in his hands and aimed it toward the target. His body was a series of hard lines. He was beautiful and imposing. Eiji's stomach tightened with terror, but also with a bit of amazement.

          _You're so beautiful, Ash Lynx_ , Eiji thought.

          He watched Ash's long fingers press around the trigger, and heard the loud crack as the bullet exploded from the chamber. Saw the gun jolt back.

          _You are beautiful_.

          Ash fired the other two rounds into the target. His body was perfectly straight and solid. He was perfect and elegant and powerful. The sounds from the world around him bled out, and all Eiji could hear was a low thrumming in his head.

          The crowd fell silent―or perhaps Eiji couldn't hear the applause over the roaring in his head. His eyes were focused on Ash. He didn't watch the crowd. Didn't look to see if their hands were pressing together and releasing in strong, steady motions.

          Eiji watched Golzine wander toward the targets. His eyes flicked across the bullet holes shredded in the material. Nine total. Eiji couldn't see the holes too well from his spot on the platform―but he could see Golzine's fingers lingering on Ash's target. He flicked a glance to Ash, but the Thief of Sherwood stood perfectly still. A marble statue planted in the middle of the courtyard.

          Golzine held his hand up and called out, "Ladies and gentlemen, our winner!"

          His hand fell and aimed toward Ash.

          The crowd erupted into a series of applause.

          Eiji released a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

          Golzine gestured toward the stage, and Ash followed close on his heels. Eiji's heart hammered in his chest. He watched Ash ascend the steps, elegance and grace incarnate. He watched Golzine step up beside the King and gesture toward Ash. Ash dipped low in a bow, and Eiji stifled a laugh as he remembered that day almost a month ago when he'd first laid eyes on Ash Lynx.

          "Well done," King Okumura rumbled, his tone quite bored.

          Ash nodded without a word.

          The King reached at his side and handed it to Golzine. "Three bulls-eyes." King Okumura looked Ash up and down. "Impressive. You're quite a decent shot, young man. Tell me, what is your name?"

          Golzine handed the small bag, jingling with coins, over to Ash. His hand curled around it, and as soon as the coins were settled in the palm of his hand, Ash lifted his head and drew his lips back into that glorious smile Eiji had fallen in love with.

          "My name," Ash said, "was Aslan Jade Callenreese."

          Golzine jolted back and opened his mouth to below―and chaos erupted all around them. Not simply from the platform, but from the crowd as well. The man with the black hood yanked it back, revealing himself to be Shorter Wong. He lifted the pistol from the challenge into the air and fired it. Eiji had no idea where he'd acquired more bullets, but with master thieves surrounding him, Eiji shouldn't have been surprised.

          "And now," Ash called, his voice rising over the screams of the crowd, "my name is Ash Lynx."

          All around the crowd, men ripped masks off. Eiji recognized only a handful of them―the short boy who'd delivered his messages for him, Skip, jumped on top of the refreshment table and kicked the glasses onto the ground; the tall man named Bones who had dressed himself up as a skeleton; the first contender who turned out to be a man Shorter had introduced as Alex―but there were many others. Members of Ash's gang, surrounding the nobles and creating chaos.

          Golzine reached for the gun at his hip―but Ash was quicker.

          He darted his hand forward, snagged the weapon in one hand, and ripped the golden key from around Golzine's throat with his other. He then swung his arm out, wrapped it around Eiji's neck, and pulled him close to his chest. He jammed the muzzle of the gun against Eiji's temple.

          King Okumura's eyes flashed with rage. "What the hell are you doing?"

          "Doing what thieves do best, Your Majesty." Ash tipped his head toward King Okumura. "Stealing treasure."

          Golzine's face was a glorious shade of strawberry red. "Get him!" he bellowed out to the guards. "Do you hear me? Get him!"

          But the chaos exploding around them drowned his shouting out.

          "It's been a delightful party, Your Majesty," Ash purred, every bit the cat he had named himself after. He took a step back, and Eiji needed no prompting to step with him. "We'll be going now."

          "You'll regret this," King Okumura snarled. "You will regret this."

          "Of course," Ash replied, flashing him a pleasant smile.

          And then, with a loud whistle, Ash and his gang vanished into a flurry of chaos. Eiji stole one last look back at his father. At Golzine's furious red face, flushed with embarrassment at his failure. At the assembled crowd of courtiers who stared after him in horror.And though he knew they couldn't see anything behind the cage his father had ordered on him, Eiji drew his lips back over his teeth and smiled wider than he ever had before.

**~ * ~ * ~ * ~**

The sun began to creep over the horizon. Eiji had been sitting on the edge of a large mattress placed inside a tree house tucked out of sight at the top of a large oak tree. In the distance, he could hear Skip still laughing. He hadn't stopped since they'd arrived back at the Sherwood Forest. With no idea where Ash Lynx and his gang set up camp, Eiji doubted his father or Golzine would be able to hunt them down immediately.

          Ash sat on the opposite side of the mattress, holding the golden key between his fingers. "Hold still," he said, gently. He reached around to the back of Eiji's neck. There was a bit of pressure, a low snap, and then the contraction fell to pieces on his lap.

          Eiji flexed his jaw and brushed the pieces onto the floor. He shifted his lips and flicked his tongue behind his teeth. He reached up and pressed the tips of his fingers against the skin on his cheek. It felt smooth and cool.

          Ash reached out, hesitantly, and Eiji lowered his fingers so Ash could touch him, too.

          Ash's fingers touched Eiji's skin, and both of them flinched just a little.

          "So," Ash said, after a moment, "we kidnapped you."

          "You did."

          Ash lifted his eyes and gave Eiji a little smile. "So, the question becomes are you a prisoner?" He slid forward on the mattress. His boots thumped against the discarded bars on the ground. "Or are you a guest?"

          Eiji tilted his head back and pretended to think. " _Guest_ seems a bit too formal," he mused.

          Ash's eyes glittered. "Then what would you call yourself?"

          Eiji slid forward until their knees brushed. "Well," he said. "If _I_ had a say, I think I might like to join your gang."

          "Join?"

          "I have a bit of knowledge about Sherwood Castle you mind find interesting," Eiji answered. He flashed Ash his brightest smile. "You might say I have inside information. So, you see, you need me."

          Ash didn't say anything for a long moment. Eiji began to feel a bit self-conscious―and then Ash leaned forward. Eiji tipped his head back, and their lips brushed. Ash didn't press, but Eiji lingered with their skin touching until it began to feel just a bit unpleasant. And yet even when he drew back, he didn't go very far. He sat with his forehead pressed to Ash's, their breath dusting over each other's cheeks like a gentle Spring wind.

          "You're right," Ash murmured. "I _do_ need you."

          Eiji closed his eyes and swallowed down the surge of excited tears that pricked his eyes. The broken bars of the muzzle sat around his ankles. It felt like a victory. The cold loneliness of Sherwood Castle seemed so far behind him now. Eiji closed his eyes and breathed in the deep scent of the woods―the richness of the leaves, the bitter snap of the fire burning somewhere nearby, the near-rotten spike of drying meat.

          As the sun began to creep above the horizon, turning the sky into a watercolor of blues and pinks, a single robin landed on the branch outside the tree house. It peeked inside, its beady black eyes landing on the former prince and the Thief of Sherwood. And then, with a tittering song, the bird took wing and disappeared into the forests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (

**Author's Note:**

> **THE END**


End file.
